Coffee & Tea Glass Filter Straws

Coffee & Tea Glass Filter Straws are inventive devices that make it easy to brew a single cup of tea or coffee at a time – no special equipment required. To brew, pour hot or boiling water into a large cup with fresh coffee grounds or your favorite tea leaves. Once the mixture steeps, sip up the hot liquid through the straw. Each has a special filter on the end to strain out the leaves/grounds on the way to your mouth.

The Tea Straw has a glass strainer attached to a hand crafted glass straw, while the Coffee Straw has a mini French Press filter attached to a hand crafted glass straw. The French press filter is great for coffee, but it works well for tea, too. The tea strainer might be a little large for coffee grounds, however. Each one comes with a carrying tube to protect the straws on your way back and forth to the office (or any other destination where you might need to grab a cuppa).

Trader Joe’s Smooth and Mellow Blend, reviewed

When I hear a name like “smooth and mellow” my first thought is that a coffee will be boring and flat. This is largely because so many brands of caffeinated drinks – including coffee – try to make their blends sound energizing with words like “buzz,” “jump,” etc., as well as with words about the strength/darkness of the roast. Fortunately, Trader Joe’s Smooth and Mellow Blend succeeds in being a good blend of medium-roasted beans that is neither boring, nor flat. The thing that is really nice about this coffee is that it is smooth and mellow – medium to low acidity with a smooth finish. It has notes of cinnamon and (strange as it may sound) toast, as well as a mild hint at a nutty flavor. It is not the most dynamic coffee I’ve ever tasted, but it is very drinkable and is the kind of blend that pretty much everyone can enjoy.